


Seeing Things

by thunderwave



Category: Homestuck
Genre: 3AM, M/M, NSFW eventually, Not, im sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-21 21:57:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3705815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderwave/pseuds/thunderwave
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>inspired by the book 'Shattered Souls' by Mary Lindsey</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. He's real

Kankri has always been able to see things, ever since he was little. At first it was just glimpses or outlines of something, then specific details he could pick out. Eventually he could see people. Of course, it frightened poor little Kankri. His dad was a preacher that was only there every now and then so the young boy was always at his friend's, Porrim, place with her mom. Not to mention Kankri had a baby brother, Karkat. As Kankri grew older, he realized that these figures he saw, out the window, walking down the hall way, they couldn't see, touch, or hear him. Oh but Kankri could see and hear them clear as day. It was pretty easy for Kankri to grow used to these random people and being home schooled by Porrim's mother, he grew used to walking right through them as well. 

Kankri never spoke of this of course, and honestly wasn't bothered by it until he started high school. Porrim's mother passed on and Porrim, having just turned eighteen, continued on in her mother's place as guardian. Kankri decided he would finally go to a public school and Karkat would go to the middle school. The younger of the two was less than pleased and Kankri couldn't argue, he knew just how bad the school's education level could be but he figured that he and karkat needed to be more social with the outside world. The first week was torture. For Kankri at least. Karkat made a few friends pretty quickly, a bi-polar boy with a thing for twos, a rather defiant little girl who was infatuated with cats and constantly tailed by a larger boy with a very well defined body for someone his age. Kankri on the other hand didnt have as much luck. He was constantly running head first into people, saying sorry to people that weren't there and having at least two panic attacks a day just from the amount of people and the stupidity that followed them.

One day, Kankri came back to Porrim's house to find Karkat had made yet another friend. A young lady with red glasses and short cut orange hair. They seemed to be getting along rather well and seeing his little brother happy made kankri's stressful day just a little bit better. He smiled at the two and greeted the new girl, Terezi, before heading up to his own room. Kankri sighed as he opened his door, jumping nearly out of his skin when he walked in. There was a tall young man, admittedly handsome with his greaser-like looks, sitting on the bed.

"Who on earth are you?" Kankri spoke up, dropping his satchel on the seat at his desk and watching this stranger the entire time. No answer. The handsome man stared at the wall a few moments more before sighing, standing, and walking right through. This time it was kankri who let out a deep breath. School was really ruining his grip on reality. Kankri saw this same person several more times over the next few months, always in his room or at the house. Kankri tried to ignore his non-existent presence but i bugged him, the black hair combed perfectly on the mans head, the astounding definition beneath the white t-shirt he was always wearing always seemed to catch Kankri's eye.

What was really shocking was what happened three months after the man first appeared. 

Kankri was sitting in the hall reading a book during lunch period when someone attempted to speak to him. After growing up hearing voices that weren't there Kankri had grown accustom to ignoring them. Kankri faintly made out a voice next to him but didn't bother looking over. Until whoever it was stuck their hand between Kankri's book and his face. The poor child nearly jumped out of his skin and glared at the person now sitting right next to him.

"Hey vwelcome back to the land of the livwing, chief. Mind if i borrowv a pencile? .... uh Chief?"

Kankri could only stare. It was the greaser guy. Kankri glanced around then back at the other boy and curiously poking at the hand being held out in expectation of a pencil. He held back a gasp and scooter over a foot,

He paused a moment more out astonishment before quickly pulling a pencil out and passing it to Mr.Dashing actually sitting next to him. for real. 

The man next to him gave Kankri a look and slowly nodded, "Vwhat, nevwer seen another guy before?"

Kankri cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter, "No, my apologies. It's just that I think i may have seen you before and I just wanted to make sure i hadn't started seeing things is all." Oh. Well that was odd. Lying felt weird and the words left a rather bad taste in his mouth but it had to be done. 

Mr.Dashing raised an eyebrow. "Aight' sure. I'm Cronus, you?" He asked, this time holding his hand out for Kankri to shake.


	2. progression and realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this ch. is short sorry

The next few days were kind of awkward, Cronus, being curious of Kankri's little shock and awe at their first meeting and Kankri feeling oddly attracted to Cronus. Kankri learned from his new friend that Cronus had moved to Beforeus, California from Ireland with his father and younger brother. He said it was because his dad had grown up their with Cronus's mother and he'd started a fishing company that took flight pretty quickly. They had decided that they wanted to move out but never got around to it until now. Kankri was thrown off alittle when Cronus muttered "it was too late though." and looked away but Kankri had decided that it wasnt something Cronus had wanted to talk about so he never questioned it.

Kankri enjoyed listening to Cronus and sometimes he caught himself trying to pick up some kind of Gaelic accent but found only hints of it when Cronus got really worked up. Instead, he heard the odd wavering on 'W's and 'V's and the greaser 'accent' Kankri found he was growing fond of. What Kankri wasn't growing fond of was the cigarette that Cronus always seemed to have pressed between his lips. A few times Kankri caught him with it lit outside during free period or lunch and lectured him about it. Cronus seemed a little surprised whenever Kankri did this but put it out anyways, much to Kankri approval. 

"Hey, Kankri." It was lunch period once more and Cronus was sitting against the wall outside when Kankri came to join him. The corner of the school had become their personal lunch area once they had started to hang out more and things had actually started smoothing out for them.

"Hello Cronus, glad to see you haven't lit that nasty thing today. I'm very proud." Kankri meant what he said in earnest but Cronus still cracked an amused smile.

"Yeah, you're kinda cutting me dowvn, chief." Cronus leaned his head back and looked up at Kankri who was still standing, "Gunna hang up there all day?" 

Kankri snapped back to reality, having suddenly lost himself looking at cronus once more. He smiled and shook his head, dropping himself down next to his friend and relishing in the fact that, aside from Porrim, he really /had/ a friend. Something caught kankri's attention in the corner of his eye and he wiped his head quickly towards it. A man stood in the middle of the track that went all the way around the school campus. Cronus perked an eyebrow and followed Kankri's gaze but when he saw nothing he looked back quizzically at Kankri. The short boy stared wide-eyed at the mysterious figure for a moment, a chill running down his spine before it suddenly disappeared, along with the man. 

"'Ey, you alright there kanks?" Cronus he put a hand on Kankri's shoulder with a worried expression and it only darkened when Kankri jumped at his touch.

"W-what? Oh sorry, yes i'm fine. Really." Kankri gave his companion a reassuring smile but Cronus wasn't convinced. Kankri turned away again, looking past the campus fence and attempting to relax. Cronus shook his head and, without even realizing what he was doing, lit his cigarette. Kankri didn't notice at first, having been lost in thought but a familiar tickle in the back of his throat and the nasty smell of cigarette smoke practically slapped him in the face. 

Cronus jumped foot and a half when Kankri first started coughing and Kankri would've laughed at Cronus had he been able to breath correctly.  
Not even noticing what it was that had (ahaha) triggered Kankri's fit, Cronus gave him another of those furrow browed, worried looks and asked, "Kankri, hey vwhats vwrong with ya?" Realization hit him harshly. Damn near throwing the cigarette Cronus hurriedly stood and took several paces away before dropping the smoldering lung-killer and putting it out between his boot and the ground. Guilt was as bad as realization was at this point as he quickly returned to the wheezing boy still coughing. Kankri swallowed hard and shuffled around his sweater pockets for the inhaler he'd been trying to hide from Cronus. He had to use it almost every time he caught cronus but managed to swallow the wheazing until he had his back turned. Cronus caught him by surprise this time though. He was a little panicked when he couldn't find it and that wasn't helping at all. Cronus had the smell of smoke clinging to his clothes when he helped Kankri to his feet. He asked if he was alright. no. he asked if he needed to see the nurse. yes. without another word Cronus literally swept the choking teen off his feet and was quickly making his way through the mostly empty halls and into the nurse's office. Ms.Pyrope, the substitute nurse was just packing up her things and Ms.Leijon had just come into the office when the boys arrived. the two ladies glanced at each other and had Cronus set Kankri on one of the beds, the sweater donned boy wheezing and his eyes watery. Ms.Pyrope asked the questions while Ms.Leijon helped Kankri. one of them found Kankri's file, the physical he had to submit at the start of the year, and finally managed to calm him down and get his breathing back on track.

It was hard watching Kankri go through that and Cronus felt horrible. Kankri sat on the bed still, just taking deep breathes when Cronus sat in the chair across from him. He knew he smelled of smoke and didn't dare go near Kankri at the moment. kankri looked hurt when Cronus put distance between them but he understood why.

"'Ey, chief? I'm really sorry that happened, had i knowvned i wvouldn't'vwe..." Cronus hung his head and rubbed his face with one hand, the other in his pockets.

"No, it's quite alright Cronus. That was more my fault than yours, *cough* I should have informed you of my... more than mild asthma." Kankri offered a little smile, trying to cheer Cronus up a bit. "Let's simply forget this happened alright? I'm fine, really, you have no need to feel bad Cronus." *cough cough*

Cronus took a deep breath of his own and let it out slowly. "I'll quit, K chief? Then neither of us vwill havwe to vworry about it." Kankri was shocked and couldn't help the light red that burned his cheeks. Someone who'd been smoking for who knows how long, was quitting just so they could hang out with him, who wouldn't be appreciative? 

Kankri looked down and mumbled a thank you but Cronus was headed for the door, "I'll be back in a sec chief, i'm gunna go see if i havwe a change of clothes in my locker." And then he was gone. Kankri tried to start the little breathing exercise the nurse had do to help him calm down but it wasn't working. He pulled up the collar of his bright red turtle neck, and realized something. Even when he'd first seen Cronus in his bedroom, all the way till now, when he had made the decision to quit smoking just so he could hang out with Kankri without trouble, Kankri had been developing a rather cumbersome crush.


End file.
